gentleman my ass...

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

—Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125

i would narrow it down a little further - christianity killed god! and the Fishers, Donohoes, Benedicts, Fallwells, Robertsons, etc have done the most murdering of god.

where is this coming from?

Fischer: God Didn't Stop CT School Shooting Because He's a Gentleman Who Doesn't Go Where He is Not Wanted

from RightWingWatch.org

blithering nonsense...

Scalia Is Just a Bigot By Michael Tomasky, Daily Beast via RSN

Michael Tomasky has something to say about Judge Scalia's too often pronounced pearls of wisdom. in the link above it's about lgbtq & marriage. Tomasky's blunt take on what Scalia says? 

"What blithering nonsense."

Scalia says in Lawrence: “Today’s opinion dismantles the structure of constitutional law that has permitted a distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions, insofar as formal recognition in marriage is concerned.”

WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL LAW? 

i apologize for yelling but there is NOTHING in the U.S. Constitution about marriage. THAT in itself should prove that DOMA is unconstitutional. it is beyond Congress' purview.

if it's not in the Constitution, it means that it's up to the states.

yes, overwhelmingly states have blocked it, but that leads to questions of the 4th, 9th, 10th, & 14th Amendments. wake up SCOTUS!

of course, then you get into the thing that marriage is not actually a 'right'; it is a contract. 

about 'contracts' the Constitution has something to say. 

Section 10 says, "No state shall...pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts...."

divorce is a dissolution of a contract in a court, and SCOTUS has dealt with it, though it refused to deal with communal property in a 1910 case & has never revisited it.

i'm not a lawyer nor legal expert, but my background does include constitutional history. all the way back to the first constitutional contract - the Magna Carta. yes, i said 'constitutional contract' because what is a constitution if not a contract? 

and don't get me started on history of 'marriage'!

i know. i'm over the top. but i'm sick of dealing with all of this.

i've gotten to a point in my life...

and it may have to do with age, where i am enraged by so much i see. 

it's different than the rage i felt when i was involved with anti-Vietnam or Civil Rights or other 'causes' youth gets fired up over. it may also have to do with the recent loss of one of the dearest & most important people in my life, but there is a distinct difference.

i am not just enraged. i am also disgusted, more cynical (if that is even possible for me), extremely sardonic, and feel like lashing out. the last is a huge change.

where is all this coming from?

i learned to control my temper when i was an adolescent as i realized that i, in fact every human, has the capacity to destroy someone physically and mentally. i attacked another kid because he kicked in the spokes of an all chrome-bicycle i had just received not 15 minutes before. they had to pull me off of him as i pounded his head into the pavement! i wasn't even aware i was doing it. that blew my pacifist cover, to say the least

then, if i am remembering correctly, in my senior Advanced English class in high school, Dr. E. gave us almost a year long personal project. we were to decide on a major focus on a topic that we would deal with through the use of literature. 

there were a lot of ideas brainstormed by the class and individually, but it wasn't until i read Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin that something crystallized in my brain. though two very different books, and i realize i didn't completely understand Baldwin's book back then, i became fascinated by how one human being could treat or act badly toward another, given that we seemingly all have the same basic sense - humanity.

i phrased it into the topic: "Man's Inhumanity to Man". 

though not a significantly unique topic, i have been engulfed with this 'quest' almost my entire life in one way or another, but i'm not sure i am any closer to understanding it. instead, the rage...

so what is going to happen next?

i realize that i have not made any entries to this blog in a long time. i also decided that maybe this could be the place that could act as an outlet for my frustrations, thoughts, and musings. perhaps this has been the point of the blog all along - no matter what... eschew obfuscation

as i looked back over previous posts, they all seem to have the flavor of "do you believe that?' or maybe 'disbelief'

so, i think i'm going to give it another shot and see what happens...

quiet heroes...

there are people who make large differences in the world & who 'go quietly into the night' as they say without the recognition of the many people they have helped.

i know that there were people who make great strides with lgbtq issues and you hear about the Harvey Milk's and the Bayard Rustin's but there are the ones whose names not as well known who influenced major changes, often alone, but powerful changes never the less.

Dr. Richard Isay is one of these heroes. he fought to get the American Psychoanalytic Association to remove lgbtq off the list of psychiatric illnesses.

i knew there was someone who was responsible for this but i didn't know the person's name. Now i do.

i also now know that he did it with personal consequences to his own happiness & wellbeing and with great pushback from 'powers that be'.

here is the link to Dr. Isay's story & about his recent death due to cancer. he made the world better for a lot of people.

Dr. Richard Isay, Who Fought Illness Tag for Gays, Dies at 77

be careful what you wish for...

this puts crazy eyes across the line & into the sanity column...

email request to expand House Homeland Security investigation into 'homegrown' extremism...

here is the full text of the email i sent to the Democratic minority members of Rep. King's investigation into 'homegrown' extremism requesting they ask for an expansion of the hearing to include ALL extremism:

"Date: March 11, 2011

To:
Bennie Thompson, Mississippi, Ranking Member
Loretta Sanchez, California
Jane Harman, California
Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas
Henry Cuellar, Texas
Yvette Clarke, New York
Laura Richardson, California
Donna Christian-Christensen, Virgin Islands
Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Brian Higgins, New York
Jackie Speier, California
Cedric Richmond, Louisiana
Hansen Clarke, Michigan
William R. Keating, Massachusetts

Re: Request for Expansion of Hearing on public examination of Muslim extremism in America

From: J Michael Ireland


In light of Chairman King's investigation into the public examination of Muslim extremism in America, I believe it would be of greater benefit to our country to expand the investigation of extremism to include groups of all faiths including Christians, Mormons, Jews, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. along with all other extremist groups identified by the Department of Homeland security. It should include all sides of the spectrum - including the right and the left. I would include the political parties also, eg Democrats, Republicans, Teabaggers, Independents, Green. etc,.as well as groups such as PETA, Cato Institute, SEIU, Alliance Defense Fund, AFL-CIO, etal.

We will never get a true picture of just how much extremism is effecting/affecting our security unless a thorough study is completed. Focusing on only one group is unclear and incomplete. We should leave no stone unturned.

With the recent occurrences such as what happened to Rep. Giffords, the bomb at the Martin Luther King Jr. parade, and the murder of Dr. George Tiller, it would behoove us to have a complete picture of all threats.

Though I realize that the majority on the committee would probably vote down any such motion, I believe it should be brought to the attention of the American people as a whole.

I also request a personal favor. Unfortunately, I was unable to find all of the minority members' email addresses and would appreciate it if you could share my concern with those I could not contact. Thank you, very much.

I appreciate your taking time to consider this request and I hope that you will be able to calm the sense of urgency and fear that the entire country has been hit with by Mr. King's hearings. It is of the utmost importance that every aspect of this concern be addressed.

Very truly yours,

J Michael Ireland
jm****@comcast.net

There is nothing wrong; only things that are missing."

"The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed"

The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed by Judy Shepard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


there are things in the book not generally known to the public that are not just surprising but also heart-wrenching; for example, his great-uncle walking into the church for his memorial service had a heart attack and died! the family didn't know about it until after the service. the firs 2/3's of the book really makes Matthew more human than image and the struggles that he went through explain a lot of why his story is so thought-provoking. the last part of the book winds down almost too quickly and is the only negative i have about the book. Judy Shepard has to be commended for putting this story to paper and make the title come true - The Meaning of Matthew. EVERYONE should read this book...



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captain bullshit...

got this email from a friend...



Senator Alan Simpson, from Wyoming, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared " Social Security " to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats. August, 2010 .

Here’s a response in a letter from a unknown fellow in Montana, I think he is a little ticked off !


“Hey Alan, let’s get a few things straight…

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63.)

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you incompetent bums spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

To add insult to injury, you label us “greedy” for calling “bullshit” on your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and health care benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators who are “greedy”. It is you and they who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes.

That’s right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable SOB ”

i don't think i can add any more to this...

child abuse...

The Fight Against Child Abuse - today is the International Day for the Elimination of Child Abuse. it has really caught on at FaceBook; some people question what good is changing a profile picture;

if it effects only 1 person, it is good!

in my career in Education i have seen & dealt with too many, and too many is more than one, abused children and each one broke my heart...

no one is alone...

sung by Bernadette Peters
from "Into The Woods"
by Stephen Sondheim




No one here to guide you
Now you're on your own
Only me beside you
Still your not alone
No one is alone
Truley
No one is alone

Sometimes people leave you
Half-way through the wood
Others may decieve you
You decide whats good
You decide alone
But no one is alone

People make mistakes
Father's, Mother's
People make mistakes
Holding to their own
Thinking they're alone

Honor their mistakes
Everybody makes
One another's terrible mistakes

Witches can be right
Giants can be good
You decide whats right
You decide whats good
Just remember

Someone is on your side
Someone else is not
Well we're seeing our side
Maybe we forgot
They are not alone
Cause no one is alone

Hard to see the light now
Just don't let it go
Things will come out right now
We can make it so
Someone is on your side
No one is alone


cross posted on my macarthur park website...

monday morning mayhem...

beware the copy room...






Ole's special diet...

Ole was turning 88 and was overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet.

Doc: 'I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 5 pounds.

When Ole returned, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60 lbs!

Why, that's amazing!' the doctor said, 'Did you follow my instructions? '

Ole nodded..... I'll tell you though, by Golly, I thought I wuz gonna drop dead on dat 3rd day.

'From the hunger, you mean?' asked the doctor.

Ole: 'Hell no, it wuz from all dat damn skippin'!


ummm, yes... Ole is a blonde..............

monday morning mayhem...

As we Silver Surfers know, sometimes we have trouble with our computers.

I had a problem yesterday, so I called Eric, the 11 year old next door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control and asked him to come over.
Eric clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.

As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong?

He replied, 'It was an ID ten T error.'
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired,
'An ID ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again.'

Eric grinned.... 'Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?

'No,' I replied.

'Write it down,' he said, 'and I think you'll figure it out.'


So I wrote down:

ID10T

I used to like Eric, the little s**t.

monday morning mayhem...

militancy...

my thanks to Richard Scott for the heads up on this one...

home invasion; just when you thought you were safe...

A man breaks into a house to look for money and guns. Inside, he finds couple in bed. He orders the guy out of the bed and ties him to a chair.

While tying the homeowner's wife to the bed the convict gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up & goes into the bathroom.

While he's in there, the husband whispers over to his wife: 'Listen, this guy is an escaped convict. Look at his clothes! He's probably spent a lot of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years.

I saw how he kissed your neck. If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain... do what ever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is obviously very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill us both. Be strong, Honey. I love you!'

His wife responds: 'He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me that he's gay, thinks you're cute, and asked if we had any Vaseline..... I told him it was in the bathroom.



research confirms that drinking gives you the same benefits yoga does !!!







i don't understand why Maxx isn't in better shape!!!

weekender...

finally, the answer to one of the most annoying questions...





and for anyone looking at office departures...


the importance of sentence structure...


The boss had to fire somebody, and he narrowed it down to one of two people: Mary or Jack. It was an impossible decision because they were both decent workers.

Rather than flip a coin, he decided he would fire the first one who used the water cooler the next morning.

Mary came in the next morning with a horrible hangover after partying all night. She went to the cooler to take an aspirin.

The boss approached her and said, "Mary, I've never done this before, but I have to lay you or Jack off."

"Could you jack off?" she said. "I feel like shit this morning."




he's so embarrased...

when it seeps into the comics...

it's gotta be bad...